Topic
:On the Benefits of Sending
Blessings
on the Apostle of Allah
and
its Significance as a Token of the High Esteem
in which His Guardian Lord Holds
him

In accordance with the glorious
Quranic verses :Allah and His AngelsSend blessings on the Prophet;O
ye that believe!Send your blessings on himAnd salute himWith
all respect.

Allah's protection we seek against
Satan, the accursed. In the name of Allah, Most gracious, Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and the Sustainer of the world.
Blessings and Peace be upon the worthiest of all the Prophets and
Messengers, who was sent to humankind out of mercy, our liege-lord Muhammad,
upon his family, his Companions, and all those who have been guided by him
and now hold fast to his Sunnah (tradition) up until the Day of Judgment.
O Allah, Glory be to You. We know nothing but what You have taught us, for
You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Bestow on us, O Guardian-lord,
mercy from Yourself and dispose of our affairs for us in the right way.

Sire,

May Allah guard your August Majesty. May He protect you and make you
ever exalted. May Allah lead Your steps aright in the path of goodness,
confer honor and munificience on your Majesty's life, and grant you
lasting healthfulness and well-being. May Allah preserve you that you may
graciously continue your noble deeds and pursue your praiseworthy
endeavors of elevating your faithful people and of serving the cause of
Arabs and Muslims the world over. May Allah preserve you in His
guardianship, uphold you, grant you assistance, and make you successful in
all of your undertakings.

On the Provision of the
Shar` ( Islamic Law)
Regarding Devotion to the Messenger of Allah

Majesty,

Devotion to the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is
one of the primary and essential duties of a genuine believer. Without it,
faith remains seriously wanting. The Holy Book, the Sunnah (or the
Tradition of the Prophet), along with the prevailing opinion in the entire
Islamic Ummah, stress the fact that loving-kindness and respect are due to
the Prophet who has been enormously beneficent to us all. He has (by
Allah's leave) guided us towards the right faith and the straight path and
led us out of the darkness of error into the light of knowledge. He has
been instrumental in all the good we have known, and in the pious deeds we
have performed. Through these deeds we pray for Allah's forgiveness and
favor that we may be admitted to His Heaven and be averted from (hell)
fire.

Thanks to our adherence to his faith and our observance of
His Shari'a, we have become the best of people ever evolved for mankind - an
Ummah whose belief in and profession of the pure Gospel of Unity has made
of it the blessed upholder of the true faith, a faith chosen for us by
Allah. Thanks to our Prophet we have not only been guided to the right
faith (none other than which will be accepted to Allah) but also made
witnesses bearing testimony over nations. We Muslims are also indebted to
the Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) for his intercession on our
behalf on the Day of Judgment. On that day not a (believing) soul - not
even one possessing a mustard grain's worth of faith - shall remain
eternally in hell. In short, were it not for Allah's Favor in sending His
Messenger to guide us, we would be real losers in a state of utter
ignorance and error. In return for all the favors and the services
rendered to us, it behooves us to show devotion and respect to him. As one
wit aptly expresses it:

Do good unto people and you shall capture their hearts

Many hearts have, through good deeds, been won.

Goodness to others, even when it is partial and limited, warrants
gratitude and recognition. And gratitude ought to be all the more
important and deep to someone whose kindness has been far-reaching,
all-embracing and everlasting. The Prophet's kind solicitude has affected
the lives of Muslims not solely in matters pertaining to the here but also
extended it to our existence in the hereafter - and verily the hereafter
shall be better than the here.

Besides Allah's favors, the Prophet's
goodness stands peerless. For this reason, our devotion to him should
never fall short of his unique kindness to us. Our devotion to him should
indeed exceed our love for our own children, our parents, and our kin and
kith. There is evidence to suggest that the magnanimous Companions of the
Prophet had shown unparalleled devotion and faithfulness.

Imam Al-Bukhari
and Imam Muslim report in their respective Sahihs that the
Apostle of Allah once said: "not until he has shown me
devotion greater than that manifested towards his closeset kin will a man
become a true believer". A case in point: when Ali (may
Allah honor him) was asked how strong his devotion to the Apostle of Allah
was he replied: "By Allah, we cherished him more than we did our children,
our parents, and all of our possessions. He was much dearer to us than
fresh water is for a thirsty soul". Such was the esteem and the honor the
Prophet was held in by his Companions. By the same token, the hearts of
true believers ought to be filled with similar devotion to the Apostle.
Habit has it that when a person loves something he shows it by caring for
it, speaking in glowing terms of it, and being faithful to it.

Sending blessings on the Apostle of Allah is certainly the best way of
invoking him, in compliance with the command of the Almighty. In thus
blessing him we show him gratitude and acknowledge his many favors to us.
To send blessings on the Prophet is but a small payment for the many
benefits and good we have seen through him. In truth, to thank the Prophet
is to thank Allah, and Allah is all-approving of those who honor His
Messenger. Blessing the Prophet in token of devotion, obedience and
worship gets the believer closer to Allah. The Almighty reserves the best
of rewards and the most complete forgiveness for those who continually
bless His Apostle. Suffice it to point out in this respect that it is out
of honor and commendation of His Apostle that Allah, in a Quranic verse
starting with His Divine Self and followed by His Angels, orders His
servants thus:

An Exegesis of the Verse under
Consideration and Explanation of its Contents

Allah and His AngelsSend blessings on the
Prophet;O ye that believe!Send your blessings on himAnd salute
himWith all respect.

To provide a brief context for the above, and according to Al-Hafid bin
Hijr, who has it from Aby Dharr Al-Harawy, the verse is the fiftieth of
Sura Al-Ahzab (or The Confederates) which was revealed in the second year
of the Hegira.

Al-Hajid Asskhawy also reports on Ibn Aby-Sath Al-Yamany that Sura
Al-Ahzab was sent down during the month of Sha'aban. Further commenting on
the same issue, the same scholar says that Sha'aban is a month during
which blessings are sent on the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be
on him). It is worth pointing that the same Sura also includes a verse in
which Allah commands His servants to glorify the Prophet, to show due
respect to his family, and to avoid any form of unseemly or hurtful
behavior towards him and his wives, the mothers of the believers (may
Allah be pleased with all of them). The most High thus states:

O ye who believe!Enter not the Prophet's
houses, -Until leave is given you,-For a meal, (and then)Not
(so early as) to waitFor its preparation: but whenYe are invited,
enter;And when ye have takenYour meal, disperse,without
seeking familiar talk.Such (behavior) annoysThe Prophet; he is
shyTo dismiss you, butAllah is not shy(To tell you) the
truth.

Allah, to whom might and majesty belong, then commands people to honor
the Prophet:

Allah and His angelsSend blessings on the
ProphetO ye that believe!Send your blessings on him,And salute
himWith all respect.

Those who vex or try to cause hurt or injury to the Apostle of Allah
(peace and blessings be on him) receive a strong warning which reads:

Those who annoyAllah and His
messengerAllah has cursed themIn this world andIn the
Hereafter,And has prepared for themA humiliating
punishment.

The above verses serve to corroborate the idea mentioned in the
preceding one, namely, the necessity to honor the Prophet and his consorts
who are held in high esteem both by the Beneficient Creator and by His
exalted and venerable angels. It is important to stress the fact that
Almighty Allah who is free of all needs and worthy of all praise, does
send His blessings on His Messenger, as do His honorable angels who obey
all of Allah's commands and glorify their Lord continuously and
tirelessly. Evidence of the wonderful workings of the angels is evoked
when the Most High says: "They arrange to do
(the commands of their Lord)". Despite the numerous and
demanding divine missions and errands they are entrusted with, the angels
are prompt to give the glory to the Prophet (peace and blessings be on
him). Should we not, after their fashion, be the first ones to bless the
Prophet, we, believers, who have been commanded to follow his right path
and to benefit therefrom? Should we not be the first ones to honor him,
we, believers, who still hope for his intercession on our behalf and
aspire for his companionship in Heaven?

To resume commentary on the afore-mentioned verses, we should point out
that they begin by informing the servants of Allah that the Most High,
along with His angels, send their blessings on the Prophet, then moves on
to urge the believers to follow suit and honor him in requital for his
many favors, which the Guardian-Lord beautifully describes when He says:

Allah did conferA great favorOn the
believersWhen He sent among themA messenger from
amongThemselves, rehearsingUnto them the signsOf Allah,
purifying them and instructing themIn scripture and wisdom,While,
before that,They had beenIn manifest error.

To emphasize the necessity of blessing the Prophet, the verses include
a nominal clause suggesting the continuity and permanence of
glorification. The nominal clause is introduced by inna, an intensifying
particle, having the force of truly or verily. The particle, in other
words, serves to reinforce the special honor in which the Prophet is held
and the eminence and distinction conferred on him by His Lord. This
exalted and noble position, one of Allah's blessings, makes the Prophet
all the more worthy of our respect, honor, and glorification.

No words can really express the real nature or
the degree of Allah's esteem and glorification of His Messenger (peace and
blessings be on him). Al Qadi `Iyad, for instance, points out that "the general consensus is
that the verses under consideration contain a degree of glorification not
found in any other Quranic verse." In support of this point, let us not
forget that, according to a narration by Ibn Mundir, who has it from Ibn
Jareek, the Prophet's Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) had
rushed to congratulate the Apostle of Allah soon after the verses had been
revealed. The fact that the Companions had not done so before indicates
that they were fully aware of the implications of the verse and of the
magnitude of the honor bestowed on the Prophet.

Along the same lines,
Al-Fakahany observes that the gist of the verses in question is that Allah
and His Angels continually send their blessings on the Prophet. The
servants of Allah, past and present, would wish for only one of those
Divine blessings; nay, if a rational being were given a choice between
having all kinds of good deeds registered on his records and receiving one
of His Lord's blessings, he would most certainly opt for Allah's
benediction. We might well imagine the high honor bestowed on one who is
continually blessed by the Guardian-Lord and His Angels! Similarly, Sahl
bin Mohammad Suleyman says:

The honor conferred by Allah on His servant,
Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him) when he states 'Allah and his
Angels send their blessings,' is far more significant than Allah's command
to His Angels to prostrate before Adam, if only because bowing to Adam
precludes the Most High. The prostration of the Angels to Adam, moreover,
was a lone occurrence whilst the Angels' benediction on the Prophet is a
continuous process.

The Almighty adds His Divine Self to His Angels in
sending blessings on the Prophet out of glorification and esteem of His
Messenger. To give an idea of the momentousness of the event, it is noteworthy
that all the Angels, notwithstanding their number and rank, glorify the
Apostle of Allah (peace and blessing be on him).

It is reported in the
Hadith of Isra' (the Night Journey) and Al-Mi`raaj (the Ascension) that
there is not a stretch of space in the wide heavens but that it is occupied
by a prostrating or bowing angel! On any given time of day or night the
populous dwellings of Heaven are frequented by no less than
seventy-thousand cherubs. To these denizens might be added the honorable
guardians of the Heavens, the Records' keepers (who register the good and
bad deeds of humankind), the Bearers of the Throne, the Angels surrounding
the Divine Throne, the Keepers of the Gates of Heaven and Hell, the Angels
entrusted with the movements of clouds, rain and other natural phenomena,
the Angels in charge of sperm-drops in wombs, the Angels of Life and of
Death, and many other Angels running countless other errands and missions.
The Apostle of Allah (peace and blessing be on him) also speaks of a group
of Angels who have been entrusted with informing him, as he lay in his
sepulcher, of each and any blessing sent on him by a member of his Ummah.
In short, there is enough evidence in the above to prove that Allah has
bestowed on His Apostle an honor and glory not granted to any other being
or angel.

When Allah, Most High, said "Allah and
His angels send their blessings on the Prophet," He did not
address him by his proper name but rather by the title of prophethood and
of the Divine Message. In this there is a clear privilege, for Allah had
addressed the other messengers by their names, as evidenced by the
following summons: "O Adam," "O Noah" "O
Abraham," "O Moses," "O Jesus," "O Zakaria,"
and so forth. Not once did Allah address His dear Messenger by name. Even
when the Prophet is mentioned together with Abraham within the same
context, he is not addressed by name:

Without doubt, among men,The Nearest of
kin to AbrahamAre those who follow him,As are also this
ProphetAnd those who believe;

The only time the Prophet is addressed by his name is when the context
requires that His name be mentioned as a means of testifying to his
Prophethood and of confirming his role as the Seal of All Prophets.
Equally significant is the fact that Allah had taught the Islamic Ummah
courteous behavior towards His Apostle. He forbade them, for instance, to
address the Prophet familiarly as they would one another. Almighty Allah
says:

Deem not the summonsOf the Messenger
among yourselvesLike the summons of oneOf you to
another.

Prior to the revelation of the above verses, some people used to
address the Prophet by his name, "O Muhammad", but when the verses were
revealed, they started to address him more respectfully as, "O Messenger
of Allah," or "O Prophet of Allah." The same kind of respect is shown the
Prophet even during his absence; the mentioning of his name is always
accompanied by due blessings and salutations.

The verses under consideration include further
instances of honor and glorification: in the original Arabic the
equivalent of the word prophet is preceded by al which has the
force of the defining article, "the." This indicates the uniqueness of his
role, the universality of his mission, and his special presence in the
minds of the believers. Additionally, when Allah sent His blessings on His
Prophet, He used the term Prophet (Nabi), not messenger (Rasul).
This is significant. According to exegetes, the role of messengers
consists in the simple act of transmitting a given message; the role of
the prophet, by contrast, is weightier because it involves receiving
divine revelation and acting upon it. It is important to stress the fact
that not all messengers are prophets and that not all prophets are
messengers. Pertaining to prophethood are a number of other definitions
which the limitation of time does not allow us to dwell on.

Related to our commentary on the Quranic verse under consideration, it
should be pointed out that the word Nabi (prophet) is pronounced in two
different ways and there still exist some disagreements as to which of the
two readings should take precedence over the other one. Some consider that the final hamza (a) should be fully
vocalized and pronounced.
Others believe that it should not be pronounced at all. Among those who
preferred not to read hamza, one may mention Imam Malik (may
Allah have mercy on him) because the people of
Quraysh, including
the Prophet himself, did not use to read the hamza, except in these
cases, notably, barry' (earth), dhurriya' (progeny), and
khairiyyah' (beneficence, benevolence). Moroccans, after the
fashion of the Andalusians, followed in the footsteps of Malik who, like
the Arabs of Quraysh, did not vocalize the hamza.

To resume our commentary on the Quranic verses under consideration, we
can say that Allah, Most High, having informed His servants that He and
His angels send their blessings of the Prophet, ordered the believers to
praise and honor His Messenger. Allah thus unites the world down here
with the world above in the act of glorification, which is performed out
of gratitude and reverence. In the Quranic verses under study, Allah casts the
act of invoking blessings in the form of a command. That means that believers
should, in compliance with the Apostle's own teachings, say: "may
Allah's blessings and peace be on (our liege-lord) the Apostle of
Allah."

It is reported that the Prophet had asked his Companions
to send their prayers on him while uttering ash-Shahada (the
solemn declaration that there is no other god but Allah and that Muhammad
is His Apostle). He explicitly instructed them to say: "Peace
be on thee, O Prophet, May Allah's mercy and blessings be on
thee." When the verses under consideration were revealed,
the Companions turned again to the Prophet asking him about the most
appropriate way to send their benediction on him. The Prophet then taught
them to salute him the way Prophet Abraham had been saluted, that is, they
should say:

May Allah send His blessings on our liege-lord Muhammad and on his
family the way He had sent them on our liege-lord Abraham and on his family. May
Allah grant peace to our liege-lord Muhammad and to his family the way he had
granted it to our liege-lord Abraham and to his family.

There are of course
slight variations in the manner of sending benediction on the Prophet, but
the essence is the same. It should be stressed that the use of the command
is intended to mean an obligation; believers are obligated to bless and
salute the Prophet, in compliance with Allah's command.

Some exegetes, as
reported by Al-Rassa', postulate that believers are obligated only to
salute him. Other scholars disagree, arguing that believers must bless and
salute the Apostle of Allah. They also point out that sending blessings on
the Prophet is not limited in time, space or number. The members of the
Ummah are agreed that the Apostle of Allah should be blessed and paid
tribute to on a permanent basis. Ibn Jareer Al-Tabari claimed that the
command in the Quranic verses implied the idea of commendability; other
scholars (`Ulama) disputed his claim on the grounds of its incongruity with
the prevalent opinion that it is obligatory to send benediction on the
Prophet. Al-Qadi `Iyad has interpreted Ibn Jareer's claim as implying both
the idea of obligation and the idea of desirability. In other words,
believers are obligated to send their benediction on the Prophet at least
once. Beyond that, blessing the Prophet becomes a recommendable act.

Two Malikite Muslim scholars differ with the predominant Malikite view in this
respect, though. Ibn Bakir argues that believers are obligated to be
lavish in their praise of their liege-lord and that paying respect to him once
is by no means sufficient. Along the same lines, Ibn `Attiyah contends
that sending blessings on the Prophet is a certain and binding practice
which all Muslims are supposed to observe. Only an ungrateful individual
would willfully neglect that duty. Imam ash-Shafi`i (may Allah's peace and
blessings be on him) asserts that we are beholden to bless the Prophet
(peace and blessings be on him) during the performance of prayers and
prior to the final salam (salutation). Blessing the Prophet, according to
Imam ash-Shafi`i, is a divine duty without which the obligatory prayers are
rendered null.

It is worth pointing that a number of scholars, both Malikites and
non-Malikites, agreed with Imam ash-Shafi`i on this issue, including
Muhammad bin Al-Mawwaz, Abu-Bakr Ibn al-`Arabi, Ishaq bin Rahawayh,
As-Shaaby, and Imam Al-Bakir. In short, numerous `Ulama from the four major
schools agreed upon the necessity of praising and honoring the Apostle of
Allah (peace and blessing be on him) whenever his Sharifiyyan name is
uttered or heard. These scholars contend that such blessings are mandatory
because the criticism directed against those who are neglectful of that
duty is severe and is often marked by threats. And threats, they further
point out, do not normally accompany recommendable or desirable acts.

In
support of their claims the same commentators advance a number of
Hadith-sayings which read: "wretched is the man who fails to
send his blessings on me when my name is mentioned in his
presence," or "shall be led away from the path
of Heaven anyone who fails to send his benediction on me when my name is
mentioned in his presence," or again, "the nose
of he who fails to bless me when my name is mentioned shall be rubbed in
the dirt ..." In yet another saying, the Prophet states:
"shall be banished (from Allah's mercy) anyone who fails to
send blessings on me when my name is mentioned (in his
presence)." These words are in truth attributed to the
Archangel, Gabriel, who, ascending the minbar (pulpit)
is reported to have told the Prophet, "shall be banished from Allah's
mercy and forgiveness anyone who willfully fails to send his blessings on
thee when thy name is uttered (in his presence)." To this the Prophet
replied, "Amen." Another version of the same
report adds banishment and doom to hell-fire as forms of punishment
reserved for those who do not pay respect to their liege-lord.

The above reports, needless to say, are characterized by strong threats which all
Muslims should take seriously in order to avoid the dire consequences of
failing to show due respect to the Prophet when he is invoked. In another
Saying the Prophet states: "niggardly indeed is the man who
hears my name uttered but does not send his blessings on
me." There is no doubt that the Prophet had said the truth:
to withhold blessings, which do not demand much of one either in terms of
money, effort, or even words is utter meanness and niggardliness.

According to Ibn al-`Arabi, it is advisable for Muslims to see to it that
they pay due respects to the Prophet whenever his name is uttered in an
assembly. The Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) had disapprovingly
said of an assembly which neglected to bless him, "their council is
woeful and punishable they who gather together and fail to invoke Allah
and to bless His Prophet ... If Allah so wills He will chastise them, and
if He so chooses He will forgive them". About the same people, the
Prophet also says: "they shall be full of distress and regret
even if they are granted admission to Heaven to plead for the forgiveness
they had missed." He also said, "As they
disperse from their (wretched) assemby they shall be stinkier than the decaying
cadaver of a donkey". In view of such strong statements,
some scholars (`Ulama) consider that each and every assembly should invoke
the Prophet and salute him respectfully at least once, particularly in
venues where it is recommended to do so. There are more than forty such
places, according to some scholars.

of the Instances in which the
Sending of Benedictions on the Prophet is Reprehensible

The Malikites, however, insist that there are circumstances and places
in which it is reprehensible to send any benediction on the Prophet.
Al-Faqih Al-Maqqarry, for instance, refers to no fewer than seven places
in the following verse:

On my back I carry the burdens of my
sins

They weigh on and gall my back, but my
Guardian-Lord is Oft-forgiving

The initial letter of each of the words utilized in the original Arabic
verse alludes to places where the benediction of the Prophet is absolutely
inappropriate. One should not send blessings on him when one is stumbling,
bathing, intercouse, immolating an animal, expressing surprise, buying and
selling. Despite some minor disagreements amongst the Malikite scholars as
to whether or not it is permissible to bless the Prophet, for promotional
purposes, during the conduct of business transactions, most are agreed
that benediction should not be sent on the Prophet in venues not worthy of
his high standing, notably in entertainment centers, bars, brothels and
the like.

On the Necessity of Blessing and
Saluting the Prophet

Now going back to the verses under consideration, and the command
included in them, we note that they suggest that we give the Prophet the
glory directly, using the following words: "O Allah, we (have) or are
sending our blessing on the Prophet." However, the practice is
otherwise in that most believers say: "may Allah send His blessings on
our liege-lord Muhammad." The reason is that no one is capable of fathoming
the reality of the exalted standing of our Prophet and the exact honors
bestowed on him by Almighty Allah. Only Allah, who has full knowledge of
His Messenger's merits, can give him the glory. What we believers can do
is to pray the Lord to bless His Apostle.

In addition to commanding the believers to bless the Prophet, Allah
also orders them to "salute him with all
respect." It is preferrable, of course, to send blessings
and to salute the Apostle of Allah, and not to content oneself with
sending benediction or saluting him, as some Shafi'ite Imams, notably Imam
an-Nawawi (Allah's peace be on him) had opined. Allah's command makes use
of as-salam, a word which has given rise to various interpretations
amongst scholars. Some have argued that as-salam, like as-salamah
(security, safety) is a root-word suggesting peacefulness. Others have
contended that as-Salam is one of the Attributes of Allah, as evidenced by
this Quranic verse:

Allah is He, than whomThere is no other
godThe sovereign, the Holy OneThe source of Peace (and
Perfection)

To use this particular meaning while invoking the Prophet means that
believers should beseech the Most High to guard, care for, and assist
them. A third group has postulated that as-salam is derived from
tasleem (acceptance of something from the conviction of the
faith). To corroborate the latter claim, this group quote the following
verse:

(They) find in their soulsNo resistance
againstThy decisions, but acceptThem with the fullest
conviction.

As-salam here implies a prayer along these lines: "may Allah
[cause to] submit to
His will people and to make them adhere to His faith and to His Shari`a."
Because of the implications of as-salam, Allah precludes Himself from the
obligation of saluting the Prophet because it does not befit His August
Majesty.

The Benefits and Rewards of Sending
Benediction on the Prophet

Sire,

The Quranic verses under consideration stress the necessity and the
benefits of blessing the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be on him).
There are also numerous Hadith-sayings which urge believers to send
benediction on the Prophet and show them the benefits and rewards to be
derived therefrom. To this kind of Sayings the attention of many scholars
has been drawn. Some of them even devoted entire books to the compilation
of such Sayings and to the enumeration of their benefits (which amount to
forty, according to some). In this connection, Ibn Qayyim has compiled
close to one-hundred and thirty-five Hadith sayings which are reported on
forty-two of the Prophet's Companions. Speaking of the benefits related to
giving the Prophet the glory, Sheikh Bel-Mahdi Al-Fassi contends in the
introduction to his Al-Massarrat (Joys, or Happy Tidings) that
the benefits of blessing Prophet Muhammad add up to three-hundred. Due to
the limitations of time, it is impossible to narrate the relevant
Hadith-sayings. Your Majesty permitting, I shall, therefore, content
myself with a brief consideration of a few of the most famous narrations.

Imam Muslim in his Sahih reports on Abi
Hurayrah (may Allah be
pleased with him) that the Apostle of Allah (peace and blessings be on
him) once stated: "he who sends one benediction on me shall be
blessed ten times of the same by Allah."

In another
narration by Al-Bukhari and At-Tirmidhi, one reads: "he who
sends his blessings on me shall have ten good deeds added to his book of
benefaction, and ten sins written off from his records of bad deeds. He
shall, in addition to that, be raised in esteem."

Along the
same lines, Ibn al-`Azib reports that the reward of he that blesses the
Prophet will be equal to the reward reserved for the man who liberates ten
slaves. "In still another narration, the rewards will be seventy blessings
sent on one by Allah and by His Angels.

The Almighty, speaking of rewarding good
deeds, states:

He that doeth goodShall have ten
timesAs much to his credit

For the doing of good the reward is multiplied ten times, but in return
for blessing the Prophet, the rewards are plainly above the merits. The
most important good perhaps, in addition to the previously-mentioned
rewards, is Allah's Pleasure with the invocation. The believer who sends
his benediction on the Prophet has the great privilege of having his name
and his blessing reported to the Prophet by the Angel entrusted with that
task, who would tell our liege-lord: "so and so is sending his blessings and
saluting thee, O Prophet."

Enough for an honor and a privilege for a base
and sinful servant of Allah to have his name mentioned by his dear
liege-lord
and by their August Creator. In such an honor a Muslim should find
sufficient incentive to send his benediction on the Prophet. What is more,
the Apostle of Allah urges us to be lavish in our praise of him thus:
"he who is most generous in praising and blessing me is indeed
the most worthy of my intercession on the Day of Reckonings, and the most
deserving of my companionship in Heaven."

There are numerous
other Hadith-sayings with similar promises, but again, owing to the
constraints of time, we cannot deal with them. It is important, however,
to point out that the Prophet had recommended to the believers to be
particularly lavish in their praise on Fridays, as stated in the following
Saying: "verily, Friday is the best of your days. Be thou generous in
sending your benediction on me on that day, for all of your blessings are
conveyed to me." Upon hearing this, a congregation enquired: "how can our
prayers be transmitted to you after you die and turn to dust, O Apostle of
Allah? "To this the Apostle of Allah replied: "Allah has forbidden the
earth to consume the bodies of prophets. The Apostle of Allah lives,
finding his sustenance from his Lord."

In another Hadith-saying, the
Prophet says: "Allah and all of His Angels convey to me the
blessings and salutations sent to me by the members of my Ummah;
therefore, wherever thou might be, send thou your benediction on
me."

Moroccans Historical
Tradition of Attachment to the Apostle of Allah

Throughout history, Moroccans have, by Allah's grace, been known for
their strong attachment and genuine devotion to the Apostle of Allah, to
his Family, and to his Companions. Equally significant, Moroccan scholars
have contributed books dealing with the benefits of blessing the Prophet
(blessings and peace be on him). Among the most famous books in this
genre, mention should be made of Sheikh Suleyman Al-Jazuli's Dala'il al-Khayrat (Guide to, or Tokens of, Good and Welfare). The book, when
it was issued, witnessed tremendous and unprecedented popularity so much
so that enthusiasts in various towns formed groups with the view of
memorizing parts of the book and reciting them, along with Quranic verses,
on special occasions. Ibn Ajrumi's book Al-muqqaddimah, likewise, saw the
same kind of fame and success both in Morocco and outside it in other
Islamic countries. It is no wonder then that your Majesty should
spontaneously keep up that deeply-rooted tradition of praising the
Prophet, out of deep devotion to and high esteem for him. It is enough for
an honor that your Majesty should always begin your speeches by praising
Allah and blessing His Apostle not only in Morocco but also in such
official international assemblies as the United Nations. Your speech,
thus, stands out as the only speech which invokes Allah's name and salutes
His Apostle. We beseech Almighty Allah to multiply your rewards and to
grant you forgiveness.

May He also bestow grace and pardon to those who invoke Him amongst
those neglectful of their duties towards Him. May Allah preserve your
Majesty as an Upholder of Muslims and continue to make of this land a
stronghold for Islam. May Allah preserve you for the beloved Crown Prince,
Sidi Muhammad, and his happy younger brother, Moulay Rachid. May Allah
have mercy on the soul of your late blessed father and bestow His grace on
him;

Let his Majesty, Ameer Al-Mumineen, lead us in the final prayers.

"Allah and His Angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that
believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all
respect".

"Glory to thy Lord, the Lord of Honor and Power! (He is free)
from what they ascribe (to Him)! And peace on the apostles! And Praise to
Allah, the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds".